Range Profile Specific Optimal Waveforms for Minimum Mean Square Error Estimation

Optimal waveforms for minimum mean square error range profile estimation are investigated. An idealized measurement and waveform adaptation process is developed that yields optimal scene and range specific waveforms. This process is idealized in that during each cycle of the process, a large number of dwells are required. As part of our method, a modified version of the Adaptive Pulse Compression (APC) estimation method is used to estimate the range profile after each dwell cycle. The proposed method is analogous to the APC method in that it yields a set of range specific optimal waveforms, while the APC method yields a set of range specific optimal pulse compression filters. In certain scenarios, the measurement and waveform adaptation process yields range profile estimates that are significantly better than those derived by the APC method alone.